Secrets and Lies
by Savbiker
Summary: He infuriated her so much, yet she still felt drawn to him. He was her teacher, yet she couldn't resist her feelings for him. He loved her, and she loved him. Being caught was the only thing for the infatuated Rose to be worried about... ...Or was it?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Now that you've clicked onto this story, please read on!

**Full summary: Everyone falls for hotness incarnate Rose Hathaway's impenetrable facade. She's classy, beautiful, perfect.**

**However, what they don't know is that Rose isn't a simple, stereotypical good girl-she's snarky, sarcastic and she just hides it well-with lots of experience and mental coaxing.**

**But when a gorgeous, mysterious guy abruptly walks into her life, she's anything but prepared. He's going to question her beliefs, and throw her something she's never experienced before-love. They're perfect together-there's just one not so tiny problem.**

_**He's her teacher. **_

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_A month ago..._

"Yes. It's been a great pleasure talking to you again, Jesse. I do hope to see you sometime soon." Smiling sweetly-and forcedly-at the stuck-up, cocky bastard who was intent on seducing me, I not-so-subtly waved him goodbye.

Even under his mask, I could tell that it was him. When he sighed, frustrated, under his breath, I knew I was right. I resisted a chuckle, shaking my head discreetly. He really didn't think that he could get away with flirting with me under the pretext of being a stranger, did he? He was not nearly that unrecognizable even in a masquerade-themed ball. Recognizing his thick features, even if hidden slightly, was not a tough feat only a scientist could handle.

Not wanting to see his obnoxious face any longer, I turned around, heading straight towards the staircase that led to my room. I was positive that if I stayed for a minute longer in the hall amidst the sea of people decked out in elaborate gowns, I would be asked to dance by another guy again. Guys tended to like my appearance-long, wavy brownish-black hair that flowed down to my waist and chestnut-coloured eyes with a touch of gold to it. My tall, muscular build and rather curvy figure, which had come about through years of track training, seemed appealing to them too. Regardless, I wasn't one who prided on her looks or material things.

Being the only daughter of the famous mayor in town really did have its disadvantages too.

I very much disliked having to wear a façade to welcome all the guests at balls like this one; which was why I did not particularly anticipate festivals, not even Halloween, which was today. The façade had already become perfunctory, something I was grateful for. As time got by, it got less tough to conceal my emotions from my face and refrain from snapping at whoever was being difficult.

Out of the blue, a whiff of cologne drifted past me, causing me to look up and around. Yup. I was somehow attracted by the scent, not too heady but masculine all the same. Unmistakably, I spotted a couple not far away. The woman was wearing a long sparkling red dress, which some unladylike part of me scoffed that I would've pulled it off better.

The man, however… was mesmerizing even from behind. From what little of him I could see, he was taller than the average man, and quite bulky. His muscles strained against his tight tux, intriguing me deeply. He was that captivating-the fact that I probably looked just like a stalker did not even enter my mind.

I hurried to catch up with the both of them, who were walking quite fast towards the entrance of our house, seemingly eager to escape. I peered forward through the throng of people, wanting to catch one more glance of the brown-haired man before he left.

To my utter disappointment, a whole bevy of women stumbled in the way, holding glasses of wine and giggling in front of me, completely blocking my line of sight. I hissed in annoyance, elbowing my way through.

I was just in time to see the lady in the red dress pull the man out the doors before they slammed shut.

I was too late.

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"Good evening, class. I am Dimitri Belikov, and you may address me as Mr. Belikov. I'll be taking over Ms Karp just for today. She is ill." I looked up from my seat at the source of the announcement.

The sound of the voice washed up in me. It felt like honey to my ears, smooth as one could be. It was velvety rich, complementing his dark looks perfectly. A tiny fire ignited in me as I stared openmouthed at the young lad. He had sharp defined features which were beautifully chiseled. I wonder what his dark hair, which flowed down to his shoulders, would feel like under my fingers.

I lost myself in his deep, dark brown eyes. For lack of better adjectives, I was utterly captivated.

Snapping out of my reverie, I flushed as the handsome teacher raised an eyebrow at me. His brown eyes were pools of an unreadable emotion I began to puzzle over. Shifting uncomfortably in my seat, I tried my best to avoid his gaze for the rest of the lesson.

Needless to say, I failed.

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The lesson passed by in a complete blur. As expected, I had not managed to learn anything at all, having been distracted by his sexy features. When the bell rang, I took a longer time to pack the books into my bag, hoping that I could stay behind to personally introduce myself.

Looking around the classroom, I noticed that half the girls in the class had apparently come up with the same idea. Exhaling in slight disappointment and annoyance, I chucked my things into my bag and headed straight for the door, my eyes fixed on the former. Preoccupied with closing it, I slammed head-on onto what seemed like a tall, hard wall.

Startled, I yelped, losing my footing and hurtling towards the ground. "Are you alright?" a masculine voice filled my ears. A strong hand grabbed me, steadying me.

I looked up in anticipation. I already knew who I would see. None of the boys in the school were remotely gentlemen, or even polite enough to be concerned about someone else.

A breath rushed through me as I stared up at him in close range. Goodness, he looked even better up front. Was it even possible for someone to look this gorgeous?

I guessed yes. The living, breathing example was standing right before my eyes, and also currently holding my wrist, something I hadn't failed to miss. Captivated by the feel of his skin on mine, I zoned out, momentarily mesmerized by his intense gaze.

"Miss Hathaway?" I felt the heat rush up to my cheeks again as the concern for me registered in Mr. Belikov's eyes. Sizing myself up and telling myself repeatedly not to stutter like a dunce, I replied, "I'm fine, thanks. Just one question…" I emphasized my point by holding up a finger. "How do you know my name?"

He smiled, a handsome, slightly bemused grin. "I asked you to introduce yourselves earlier and I paid attention. I remembered."

My eyes widened. He remembered? There were many girls in the class. I grew hopeful for a second, thinking that he probably noticed me. Though that hope vanished soon after-I was the mayor's daughter, who wouldn't recognize me?

"Rrrrright." I dragged out my word, something I did when I was uncomfortable or embarrassed. "I'll see you soon, Dimitri!" Grinning cheerfully at him, I took in his resigned smile and left, hoping I'd see the new teacher soon… I couldn't believe he was leaving tomorrow.

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"Did you see the absolutely gorgeous teacher today? I saw him from afar, but didn't get a chance to ask his name." Avery peered inquisitively at me, raising her voice slightly to overpower the lunchtime announcement that was carried out at the current time. She'd been my best friend for ages; since I was in my baby bouncer, if that were even possible.

"Hey. Boyfriend here, remember?" Beside her sat her boyfriend, Adrian. They'd recently gotten together, having been best friends with secret feelings for long.

Right now, said boyfriend was raising his eyebrows at his girlfriend, who was of course dreaming about the hot new teacher.

I chuckled, swinging my bag into the seat and sliding my lunch tray on the table. "She's not married to you. She's still entitled some freedom, and besides, who can't appreciate a real man?"

Letting out a shocked gasp, Adrian narrowed his eyes at me in mock irritation, deliberately wearing a horribly fake foreign accent."Whatever are you implying, m' lady? I _am _a real man!"

"Anything that helps you sleep at night, my dear friend." I smiled sweetly at him and started to eat. Looking up at Avery, I said, "He's Dimitri Belikov. Mr. Belikov. I had him for Chemistry."

"But I heard Ms Karp's only ill." Avery frowned. "Don't tell me he's leaving tomorrow!"

I sighed, pulling a long face, which was a pretty big clue as to what the verdict was.

"No!" Avery sighed even louder than I did, leaning back into Adrian who looked extremely uncomfortable at the sight of his girlfriend moaning about some other guy leaving soon. "He can't leave so soon, things are so boring and the guys in this school are the same old jerks ever, you don't find anyone nice."

I covered my mouth to stifle my laughter as Adrian's eyes widened, leaning towards his girlfriend. Looking scared but pretty amused, Avery hastily continued, "Except Addie, of course, he's the best."

"Damn right I am." Adrian smirked in relief and leaned in for a kiss, which I immediately covered my eyes childishly.

As if on cue, the lunchtime announcer carried on, "…and the new Phys Ed teacher will be Mr Dimitri Belikov. He will be replacing Mr Tanner as he has recently resigned. Seniors having physical education up next will be taught by Mr. Belikov."

Avery and I looked at each other in a flash. I felt a small smile grow on my face. What a pleasant surprise.

It looked like I would be seeing more of the devil up next-who went by the name of_ Dimitri Belikov._

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**A/N: And it looks like you'll be seeing more of the slacker up next - who goes by the name of **_**Savannah.**_

**Sorry… I couldn't resist poking fun at myself. :D Anyway… Hi. *goofy grin***

**REVIEW please my old readers and new ones! They get me typing at neck-breaking speed. ^^**


	2. Chapter 2

_As if on cue, the lunchtime announcer carried on, "…and the new Phys Ed teacher will be Mr _

_Roman Kurt. He will be replacing Mrs Maria as she has recently resigned. Seniors having physical education up next will be taught by Mr. Kurt."_

_Avery and I looked at each other in a flash. I felt a small smile grow on my face. What a pleasant surprise._

_It looked like I would be seeing more of the devil up next-who went by the name of __Roman Kurt._

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"We're going to die," Avery sighed dramatically, palming her face in exasperation as we quickened our pace into a slow jog. We had been assigned the unfortunate role of leading the entire class on a thirty-minute run around the school. Trust us to have had been in Mr. Belikov's vicinity as he looked for volunteers (and there were none).

I was fine-in fact, I very much loved running. It got my mind off things; and I reveled in the feel of the wind against my face. A smile slowly spread across my face as I pumped my legs faster and faster, ignoring Avery's complaints as she fell behind me.

"I don't mean to inflate your ego, but your timing is beyond others', even better the guys." I dried myself off at the finishing point, very aware of the Russian hunk looming behind me, a small smile painted on his face. "You work out a lot, Rose?"

"Definitely. I have several partners who teach me all kinds of maneuvers… and boy, do they know how to make me sweat. Come to think of it… you can too." I winked at him, slipping my usual behavior.

Dimitri's face immediately turned colour, the disgust in his eyes evident. I cringed, dropping my gaze to the floor. "You should put a diaper on your face-that's where all the shit is coming out from."

Ouch.

I winced at the harsh tone of his voice. Overreact much? Was there really a need to shoot me down like that?

I skulked off to the side, sulking and more than a little taken aback by what had just happened. Just as well, Avery caught up to me and thankfully, she was panting heavily. "R-r-rose… …" She sighed, "It's your entire fault for making me look like a wimp in front of Sex on Legs."

"Nobody asked you to run so slowly." I bit out the words, pissed off.

"What's crawled up your ass, Hathaway?" Adrian slung an arm over my shoulder, raising an eyebrow quizzically at me. Firstly, was my annoyance _that_ obvious, and secondly, was I the _only_ one in the whole world who couldn't raise an eyebrow?

Exactly. What exactly had crawled up my ass? When did I start caring about what Dickitri said? When did I become a softie?

Fortunately, the class was rounded up and I had no need to answer Adrian's perceptive question.

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"Rose, rose! Wait up!" Through the massive crowd of students, I could barely recognize Mason's voice floating to me from behind.

I stopped abruptly, causing two girls to bump into me. "Are you fucking retarded? Who the hell stops in the middle of the hallway just like that?"

Without bothering to look at Mia Rinaldi, the skanky attention-seeking whore who had snapped at me, I muttered back under my breath, "And you're the reason God created the middle finger."

"_What?_ WHAT did you say?" With a shocked, overly theatrical gasp, Mia stopped in her tracks and gripped my shoulder, being extremely careful not to damage her manicured nails. Her friend, Vasilisa, also stopped.

Unlike Mia, however, Vasilisa was as docile as a sheep. From what I'd heard of her, she couldn't bring herself to hurt a fly. She was the stereotypical package of a good schoolgirl; she studied hard, did her homework, was polite to everyone, never uttered a vulgar word and avoided crazy parties where everyone got drunk. I, on the other hand, sometimes really wondered how she never committed suicide from boredom.

It wasn't like I attended parties conducted by the students of St. Vladimir High, though. It was too risky and my mother, Janine Hathaway, the mayor, was all about reputation. She would never let her daughter, a lowly seventeen-year-old, create the slightest dent in her 'perfect' image by going to a party. Nope. None of it at all.

With a start, I realized that the students passing us had noticed a storm brewing between Mia and me. All of a sudden, a wave of fatigue crashed over me. I just wanted to get to my next class without any more drama. Was that too much to ask?

"I was saying, Mia, that you don't have to worry. I completely understand. Trust me… I really do. I have many gay friends - it's alright. You were born this way, it's not like you can help it. It's really okay, I'm not freaked out or anything," I shrugged, a light smile on my face, trying to suppress the roar of laughter in me. "It's just… I have a boyfriend. If I swung… well, a different way, I would definitely return your feelings, Mia, weird as it sounds."

The surrounding people immediately broke out in giggles, some not bothering to hide their full-blown laughter. Even Vasilisa was trying in vain to hide her smile as Mia's cheeks turned red. Her baby-blue eyes were round and furious as her lip twitched. "You-you… …"

"Not taking rejection well, are we, Rinaldi?" Ah. My favourite smartass was here to save the day. He came in a form of jet-black hair and crystal blue eyes, not to mention a signature snarky smirk.

Christian's comment ignited even louder laughter from the passers-by as he came to a stop beside me, grinning lopsidedly at Mia, who was spluttering in anger and bewilderment. Finally, Mia grabbed Vasilisa and stomped off-but not before looking over her shoulder and screaming at the top of her lungs, "You'll pay for this!"

Chuckling heartily, Christian and I sauntered off. My mood considerably lighter, I said, "It feels amazing to be able to make a bitch like her truly suffer for once. All the sucking-in of comebacks all this while hasn't gotten to me, has it?"

"I doubt it has, Hathaway." Christian smiled, but it quickly dissolved. "So… I heard from a little birdie that you were upset by Mr. Belikov earlier?"

"Who told you that?" I was going to kill Adrian.

Dodging my question, Christian replied, a teasing smirk growing on his face, "Does someone have a little crush on our physical education teacher?"

I immediately felt the blood rush up to my cheeks. I avoided Christian's knowing gaze, seeking solace in the floor like what I did earlier. "N-n-no… Don't talk rubbish. That's ridiculous. He's a fucking jerk with a stick shoved up his ass. Totally doesn't know how to respect women." My voice grew louder as I spoke, trying to make Christian believe me.

"Russian." Christian was murmuring something, but thoughts were running through my head. How did he know I kind of liked Dimitri? Was it really so obvious?

"What?" I asked, whipping my head around to look at Christian after he had hit me on the arm hard.

"Russian! Russian at 12 o'clock!"

What?

My mouth hung open as my eyes met the cold, steely gaze of Dimitri.

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**A/N: Hey guys. So…137 visitors but 10 reviews… but I'm definitely not going to complain. ;) I hope you guys like this chapter better. :)**

**Pretty please review with Dimitri on top!**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of VA except the plot of this story.

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><p>"<em>What?" I asked, whipping my head around to look at Christian after he had hit me on the arm hard. <em>

"_Russian! Russian at 12 o'clock!"_

_What?_

_My mouth hung open as my eyes met the cold, steely gaze of Dimitri._

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As much as I hated to admit it, the look on his face scared the shit out of me.

Never before had I been so shaken by how menacing someone looked.

Dimitri's lips were pressed into a thin, hard line, his brown eyes turned cold as ice and narrowed into slits. His countenance was so tightly strung with tension that it left me with absolutely no doubt at all that I had struck a nerve.

I stood stock still, not daring to move an inch. I could almost hear my and Christian's breathing in the dead silence. Funny how jokey and lighthearted the mood had been just seconds ago.

"If I hear you say anything like that once more, Miss Hathaway, I assure you that suspension is in order."

My eyes grew wide as my mouth dropped even further open upon hearing Dimitri's threat. "Suspension?"

"Dimitri, I know you're a hunk and all… but looks can only get you so far. Headmistress Bitch Kirova can't possibly suspend me for being… …" I shrugged, adamantly refusing to admit my mistake. Out of my peripheral vision, I noticed Christian give a slight shake of his head. And even I knew it was because I'd called Dimitri, who currently was fuming mad, a hunk.

It was probably also because I'd directly insulted our headmistress in front of a teacher.

Oh well, what could I say? I'd already done enough damage-why care so much?

"I have connections, Rosemarie." Dimitri's expression was still stone cold. Jeez, why couldn't this man lighten up?

It was then that his words sunk in. Connections? What on earth did that mean?

"What do you-"

I shot Christian a glare as he clapped his hand over my mouth, successfully shutting me up. He grabbed my other arm in a vicelike grip and dragged me away, shouting over his shoulder, "I apologise on her behalf, Mr. Belikov!"

As we rounded the corner, I hissed in Christian's ear, still very much aware of Dimitri's eyes piercing into my back. "What are you _doing_?"

"Preventing you from getting into more shit since you obviously don't seem to be capable of that yourself," Christian rolled his eyes bitchily, letting go of my arm, leaving red prints of long fingers.

I dragged out a long sigh as we trudged into our class and into our seats. "But don't you find his words a little odd? I mean, who ever says that anymore? '_I have connections_'? What, are we part of the Mafia now?"

How ironic it was that my father, Abraham Mazur (or better known as _zmey_), was highly suspected by the public to be a Mafia boss. I only saw him once in a while-and while he certainly was kind and nice to me, we weren't very close. Still, I tried not to blame him for our unfamiliarity-I wouldn't choose to be part of any illegal business he might be doing. At least he still treated me like his daughter, and honestly, that was all I really asked for.

"I don't know. He's probably hooking up with Kiki. Who knows what Kirova could be involved in?" Christian shrugged dismissively as I gaped in disgust.

Did it never cross his mind that she was old enough to be his mother?

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"So as I was saying earlier, my aunt's coming here for a concert, and she's gotten us tickets too," Christian began animatedly, bouncing in his stride beside us.

"Right, your hot aunt. What's her name again? Natalie or something?"

Avery snickered hard at her boyfriend, hitting him on the arm in a very girly way. We'd all gotten use to his flirtatious matter-it was all for fun, and Adrian and Avery were happy enough with each other to not have anything to worry about.

"She's Natasha Ozera. Call her Tasha, she specifically told me to tell you that. And Adrian, if you hit on her, I swear I'll have your balls," Christian glowered, but a teasing glint flickered in his ice-blue eyes.

"Whose concert is she invited to?" I asked, interested. I'd heard of Christian's aunt before; apparently, she was a famous model had quite a range of contacts and sometimes was specially invited to their concerts. Christian also very much liked to talk about how 'great' he was, going to Marc Anthony's concert, and Usher's, and… … …

"Enrique Iglesias's."

My mouth positively flopped open for the second time that day. "_Enrique Iglesias_? You have to be joking!"

Beside me, Avery had a much more enthusiastic response. "-"

I was mildly interested too-Enrique was the sexiest man to ever walk the planet (next to Dimitri, as some annoying part of me whined). "When's the concert?"

"This Friday," Christian answered, smirking smugly at Avery who was still freaking out over going to Enrique's concert. He fished out his car keys and we all hopped into his Volvo, Adrian closing the door a little harder than necessary.

"What's wrong, Addie? Jealous your girlfriend's ecstatic over seeing some other guy?" Man, I loved jesting, especially when Adrian was the target in question.

Adrian shifted uncomfortably, sending me a glower that was meant to make me wither, however not achieving the desired effect. I shrugged lightly and smiled innocently at him.

A staring match was carried out the rest of the ride.

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That night, I tossed and turned in my bed, thinking of Dimitri. He certainly hadn't seemed like a very uptight person when I'd first met him-why the change? I seemed to trod on his toes so easily. What was it that I said that had affected him so badly?

Perhaps it was something personal. Perhaps it was something that he kept secret and didn't want anyone to know…?

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Whatever the reason, I was determined to find out the reason behind Dimitri Belikov's secrecy.

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**A/N: Hey there. I was so happy when I saw the number of reviews I got, thank you so much. :) I hope this chapter isn't too boring though (it's a filler chapter) I tried to type it up as quickly as I could.**

**Please leave a review if you like how the story is going and want to read more! (Review too if you're a fan of Enrique… Bahahaha) Thank you in advance :)**

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><p><strong><span>PS<span> Hope you guys don't mind the real-life references to actual living people. First, let's just pretend that Enrique Iglesias is actually the same age as Dimitri (24 years) in this story instead of his real age, which is 36 years. xD Big difference, I know. You'll understand why this is necessary as the story continues.**


	4. Chapter 4:Concert Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of VA except the plot of this story.

_That night, I tossed and turned in my bed, thinking of Dimitri. He certainly hadn't seemed like a very uptight person when I'd first met him-why the change? I seemed to trod on his toes so easily. What was it that I said that had affected him so badly?_

_Perhaps it was something personal. Perhaps it was something that he kept secret and didn't want anyone to know…?_

_Whatever the reason, I was determined to find out the reason behind Dimitri Belikov's secrecy._

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Friday couldn't come sooner, not with Avery ranting on the concert in all her excitement every single day. The concert was in the evening at six, and Avery and I were supposed to meet the guys at five-fifteen to travel to the concert destination together.

As I stepped into my house with a drenched pink towel around my neck, I headed to my room, only to hear the phone ring. "ROSE! Where on earth have you been, young lady? Do you know many times I've called you? _Do_ you?"

Recognising Avery's frantic tone immediately, I took my time, purposely trolling with her. "What do you think? I've been having loads of fun with your boyfriend, of course. Pure, unadulterated, raw, _animalistic_ fun…" I snickered, plodding into the bathroom to shower.

"Shut up. Get down to the important matter at hand. I need your damn help. I can't decide what to wear! Should I go for… …"

Oh, no. I immediately zoned out, not bothering to listen to her, knowing that she would give a full, detailed description of her many outfit choices to me, something I really didn't dig. Why girls enjoyed discussing clothes so much, I had no idea.

It wasn't that I was a tomboy-I still liked dressing up and looking pretty, but I would rather spend my precious few hours doing something more meaningful instead of choosing clothes over the phone.

I guess I was boring that way.

"Rose? Rose... Are you even listening to me?" Avery sounded tired.

"I think you should go for the second one, it sounds more realistic," I fibbed, having no clue about what her second option even was.

"Damn it." Avery swore, and a smirk couldn't help but find its way onto my face. "Don't try to lie to me. I already said earlier that my second option is definitely OUT because the blouse is long-sleeved and therefore impractical to wear to a concert."

Oops.

"Oh… sorry, then."

"I can practically hear the amusement in your voice," Avery accused. She'd definitely be angrier if she saw the full-blown grin on my face then. "Ugh, forget about me first. What're you wearing?"

I stepped out of the shower with a towel wrapped around me, chucking a tank top and shorts on. "A dress I just got. It's black, mini, shows a lot of back and barely covers my bum. Kinda skanky, but why the fuck should I care?" I eagerly waited for Avery's response, wanting to see how she would react.

In reality, I hadn't even thought about what I would be wearing to the concert. I wasn't the sort to care so much. Besides, it was a full two and three-quarters of an hour to the latter! I had plenty of time to prepare.

"Yeah, you go girl! Maybe Sexy Ass Iglesias'll even notice you and your hot bod," Avery's mood lightened considerably.

"Right… Continue waiting, Avery." I sniggered, flinging myself onto the bed. She was so gullible sometimes-that was the problem. We didn't really understand each other the way best friends should. Like how Avery had been my friend for ages; she should've known that I couldn't have picked something too sexy or revealing to wear, because of obvious reasons (like my mother).

"Oh… I should've known you'd be jesting again." Disappointment was evident in her voice. "I bet you haven't even picked anything out yet… … Tell me, am I right?"

"Yup. Spot on." I clicked the phone shut, grinning to myself as Avery gave a long sigh and cut the call before I did.

Padding across the room, I pulled open my cupboard doors to unearth my most favorite something in the world-my guitar.

I had picked up this hobby for quite a few years now, and had gotten rather good at playing it and singing. I had been featured in newspapers before a couple or more times about my performances at certain concerts.

I sook solace in music. Whenever I wanted to escape from the outside world, I dove into music. It was really just a hobby to me though-I didn't quite see any future in it.

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I stuffed my hands in the pockets of my shining grey skin-tight jeans and slid into the car. "Hey Chrissie, Addie, Ave…"

"Avery's not here yet." Christian rolled his eyes, punching the car horn repeatedly as we pulled up in front of Avery's house. Adrian sighed irritatedly and checked his watch.

One thing we all did not like about Avery was that she never turned up on time. When she finally did, she'd be extremely late, or as she liked to call it, fashionably late. Many a time, we had to go down to her house to get her.

"Huh. And I thought _I_ was late…" I mused, watching Avery run down the steps, the wind blowing strands of her hair askew. She hurried into the car, frantically trying to hold her hair down, closing the door with vigor. "Sorry, sorry… …"

"Whatever. You're always late."

Christian, Avery and I looked at Adrian in bewilderment. Usually, when Avery was late, Adrian would not say a word about her, though he'd pull a long face.

What just happened?

"Well, I have a reason to be." Avery huffed, angling her body away from us and staring out the window. "I'm a girl, you know. I actually care about how I look."

_Maybe too much_, I thought, feeling a wave of slight annoyance at her stuck-up words. This was the side of Avery that I definitely didn't like - the stubborn, vain Avery who obsessed over her physical appearance to an unhealthy level.

Apparently, Adrian didn't like it very much too, judging from the way his face turned an unhealthy black color.

We rode the rest of the way to the concert in silence.

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The screams of the crazy fangirls were so deafening that I could barely hear myself think. Someone's high heel trodded on my foot, and I winced, pulling my foot upwards and away hard, causing that someone to fall.

Right now, that someone was shrieking like a wild crow.

"Aunt Tasha! Are you alright? What happened?" Off to the side, a concerned voice drifted over to me. I stiffened. Was that Christian?

I turned to look at them.

The raven-haired lady whose foot I had stepped on was pretty, her eyes a crystal-clear shade of blue and her skin a pale white. Her pink lips, however, were now twisted into an ugly scowl as she glowered at me. "You bitch… you did that on purpose!"

A pair of equally white hands helped the lady up and back into her seat. It didn't take long for me to realize that it belonged to Christian.

Standing there, I put two and two together. This unfortunate lady was Christian's aunt, the model Natasha Ozera. And I had just caused her to fall.

If I were Avery, or someone like her for that matter, I would've been freaking out and apologizing. Unfortunately for the lovely damsel, I wasn't Avery, or anything like her at all. "What did you expect me to do, continue letting you stand on my foot?" I asked casually, sitting down and looking through the crowd of fans to see if I could spot any familiar celebrities.

Natasha Ozera gave a prissy huff. "My ankle is _twisted_. What kind of giant elephant feet do you have?"

"Tasha… ...it's alright." Christian shifted uneasily and shot a glance at me, as if wanting me to apologize. Looking at Christian's helpless plight… I let sympathy take over.

"Look, I'm sorry. You're… Tasha, is that right?" I sighed, asking reluctantly.

To my surprise, Natasha's gaze softened as she turned to look at me. "Yeah. I'm sorry too, I guess. I shouldn't have flipped out like that. Let's start again. I'm Tasha Ozera, Christian's aunt. You are…?"

"I'm Rose, Rose Hathaway." I answered, a little bewildered at her sudden change of demeanor.

"I see." Tasha smiled politely and sat back, pulling out another chair for Christian.

I took that as my cue to remain silent.

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"_Baby I like it, the way you move on the floor… … Boy yes I like it, come on and gimme some more..."_

I could only stare, stunned, as the handsome singer reached out his hand to pull me on the stage. A shy smile broke across my face as I took his hand, leaping up. Fangirls shrieked and waved their hands at Enrique, hoping to receive the same treatment, but to no avail.

To my utter shock, Enrique grinned and tossed me a microphone, which I caught immediately. Was I supposed to sing along? I registered his knowing grin carefully, getting my answer soon after.

"_Oh yes I like it, screamin' like never before…"_ I sang into the microphone, a wide grin spreading across my face as our voices blended perfectly. I swayed my hips and jammed out to the music, reveling in the feel of the wind blowing against my face.

Secretly, I was thanking God that I had decided to dress up for this concert.

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**A/N: This chapter is a page longer and _extremely_ tough to write… which is why I took longer to update. :X **

**So I received fewer reviews :(… but I do hope you like this chapter better. It's really essential for the development of this story. Part 2 of the concert will be in next chapter… **

**And guys, ****GO CHECK OUT MY ONE-SHOT TITLED 'THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY'. ****:)**

**.**

**.**

**REVIEW to make me happy :) **


	5. Chapter 5: Concert Part 2

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns VA. I only own the plot of this story… and well, makeshift Enrique.**

"_Oh yes I like it, screamin' like never before…" I sang into the microphone, a wide grin spreading across my face as our voices blended perfectly. I swayed my hips and jammed out to the music, reveling in the feel of the wind blowing against my face._

_Secretly, I was thanking God that I had decided to dress up for this concert._

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"_Girl please excuse me if I'm misbehavin' oh, I'm trying to keep my hands off but you're beggin' me for more…"_

Enrique's hands slid down to my waist, eliciting even louder screams from the female population as I shook my hips to the music, closing my eyes and laughing.

I hadn't had so much fun in a while.

In a blissful daze, my eyes slid open, my gaze falling straight on a couple in the crowd.

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Like any normal loving couple, the man and the woman were kissing.

Like any normal loving couple, they were not paid any attention by the crazed crowd.

Like any normal loving couple, they were groping each other, sucking faces affectionately.

Immediately, I felt my stomach turn, my earlier doughnuts threatening reappearance.

Dimitri and Tasha.

The dark brown waves were unmistakable-as was her black chopstick-straight hair. His hands were all over her. The two of them seemed to be lost in their own private little world as they kissed in the middle of the crowd.

I felt my heart clench, blood draining out of my face.

Swallowing hard, I decided I really didn't want to be on the stage any longer.

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I hopped backstage, trying and failing to get rid of the horrid images replaying before my eyes. I had no idea why it bothered me so much. He was a fucking hot foreign hunk, she was a statuesque internationally-known model.

It only made sense that they'd be together.

Distracting me, Enrique kissed my hand gently before releasing it. "Hey… Enrique, why did you pick me of all people?"

"I've seen you in the papers and at your concert," Enrique smiled, adjusting his black biker jacket. "You sing really well, Rose."

"Right… Thanks." I laughed.

"You don't have to be so shy… I won't bite. Well, not unless you want me to… …" Enrique chucked me the standard pick-up line, complete with a flirty wink.

"Very original, Iglesias." I snorted un-girlishly, guffawing lightly as he slung an arm around my shoulders.

As we headed down the stairs, cameras clicked everywhere, sending blinding flashes of light that made me cringe and shield my eyes. I felt something hard being pushed into my hand and I put it on, after identifying it as a pair of sunglasses. Enrique's arm tight around me, we quickly hightailed it out of the concert venue, dodging along dark alleyways and finally coming to a stop in one.

I panted, sinking against the brick wall as Enrique checked the corner for more paparazzi. "Have we lost them?"

"I think so." Enrique murmured, leaning against whatever was behind him.

Which happened to be me.

"Oh-I'm sorry-" I gasped, lying on the ground, as he pushed himself off me. "I'm sorry," He said sheepishly.

Right then, I noticed the position we were in-a very compromising one at that.

Enrique's legs were currently straddling my hips, his hands holding my shoulders in a firm grip, making his biceps pop out. His jeans hung low on his hips, his torso tensed. His eyes had gone dark and hooded with lust as he stared at my eyes, gaze travelling down to my lips.

He, apparently, had also noticed our proximity.

Without further thought, he leaned forward and pressed his full lips against mine, his hands snaking into my hair. Ruled by my hormones, I sighed, melting into his hot kiss and the way his hands massaged my scalp. I let my hands run down his back, creating gathers in his shirt as they landed on his bare back.

He hissed into my mouth, deepening the kiss, sliding his tongue across my bottom lip, begging for entrance. I complied, reciprocating to his touch and the way it left me breathless. I kissed him back feverishly, with an almost crazed passion.

However, something about my intentions felt wrong.

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"Wh-" The voice trailed off, the footsteps coming to a stop.

Enrique immediately jerked off me in shock, trying subtly to adjust his jeans to hide his excitement as he stood up. I flushed, pushing myself up and off the ground. "Tasha?" I asked coolly, eyeing the woman who was now standing a few metres away from us.

"Tash?" To my horror, Dimitri skidded to a stop behind her, one hand clutching her arm. I flinched away from his piercing gaze, feeling somehow dirty.

Like I'd done something wrong.

I was sure of what he saw-my sexed-up hair, swollen lips, Enrique's crumpled shirt and his glittering eyes.

I swallowed back a lump in my throat, inhaling deeply, uncomfortable. It was rather obvious that Dimitri and Tasha had come here to do what Enrique and I were just doing. "What're you guys doing here?" I asked, trying to diffuse the tension, which was thick in the air.

Dimitri's eyes hardened, glittering in fury as he stared at Enrique, who was making direct eye contact with him, unafraid.

I, however, was scared for Enrique's life.

Dimitri's posture was tense, his fists clenched by his sides. His dark brown hair hung partly over his face and fell onto his shoulders, casting a shadow across his features and making him look all the more menacing.

Slowly, Dimitri bit out, "I could ask you the same thing."

The coldness and steel like tone of his voice caused a wave of anger to surge up in me. Irritation pumping through my veins, I replied, sounding equally cold. "Avoiding paparazzi, of course. _Some_ of us don't like shoving our faces into popularity."

Saying that, I was actually trying to insult Dimitri based on when he was kissing Tasha in public. Apparently, he realized that too, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"It certainly didn't look like you were avoiding paparazzi."

"You _bastard_," I stepped forward, my fist coming up, ready to plant itself into the hot-but-annoying-as-hell ass's face. "You are my _teacher_. You have _no _right to control my love life. It's none of your business."

Behind me, I noticed Enrique shuffling his feet uncomfortably. Dimitri's jaws clenched tight as he glowered at me. I tensed too, staring right back at him, daring him to fight back.

Somehow, I wasn't surprised when he grabbed Tasha's shoulder and steered her away.

"He seems… rather protective of you," Enrique looked at me carefully, his dark eyes probing mine. I chuckled nervously at his statement. "He's really… …" I thought over my words carefully, not wanting to say something that could land me in trouble. "Difficult."

"Difficult." Enrique repeated softly, seeming like he didn't believe me at all. After seeing me stubbornly press my lips together in a hard line, he gave up and nodded, looking away.

_Fuck Tasha,_ I thought, sick of the confusion. _Fuck Dimitri. Fuck it all._

"Ready to go for a second round, Iglesias?" Seductively, I trailed my fingertips up his chest, eliciting a hiss from him as his arms encircled my waist as his lips smashed themselves to mine.

Enrique was a fantastic kisser, I'd give him that.

But something, that same something I'd felt earlier, was telling me that I shouldn't have been doing that.

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**A/N: I'm kinda sad right now, cause of reasons which I'm sure you guys know (**cough** **_**reviews**_** **cough**) **

**Anyway, I'm speeding up the story and beginning to bring in the drama.**

**Please review for the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything of VA. This story is AU and AH, and still I don't own any characters (Iglesias doesn't count). xD No copyright infringement is intended.**

"_Ready to go for a second round, Iglesias?" Seductively, I trailed my fingertips up his chest, eliciting a hiss from him as his arms encircled my waist as his lips smashed themselves to mine._

_Enrique was a fantastic kisser, I'd give him that._

_But something, that same something I'd felt earlier, was telling me that I shouldn't have been doing that._

"I wonder what crawled up Belikov's ass this morning…" Christian mused.

Practically the whole cafeteria was staring after the glass doors which were still swinging from said teacher's exit.

Dimitri Belikov had come to school that morning with a face darker than rainclouds and a temper worse than Hitler. From the time he stepped into school, he had been barking orders at students and was so sarcastic and cruel in his comments that a couple of girls had actually cried from fright after being scolded for _having long fringe_.

I knew better than to agitate him on a day like this. Some sick part of me hoped that he'd had some argument with Tasha, or had fallen out with her, or basically anything bad that had happened to him and Tasha.

"Ew," Avery's squeal jerked us out of our thoughts. "This is so gross," she poked at my chocolate doughnut, her eyes narrowing in revolt. I quickly snatched my baby away and shoved it into my mouth, doing my best to ignore her looks of disgust. Again, the side of Avery I certainly didn't like was showing up.

"What's wrong with it?" Christian raised his eyebrow at her.

"It's… sugary. And fattening." Avery gave a prissy little sniff and tried to slide her long manicured nails in between the plastic flaps of her salad box to open it up.

"Maybe for you, but you know Rose. She burns it all off." Adrian shrugged, spooning a doughnut into his mouth for emphasis.

My eyes immediately flicked to him, surprised at the snarkiness radiating off him. What was up with Adrian lately? What had happened to the kind, understanding and tolerant side of him which used to show itself whenever Avery was around?

Apparently, Avery had noticed his jab too. She narrowed her eyes again at him, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. "What on earth is wrong with you? You've been acting all _bitchy_ lately. _So un_cool."

"_I'm_ being bitchy? Take a look in the mirror, sweetheart."

People were being very surprising today. I was shocked at the frostiness in Adrian's voice. He stood up from his chair and made his way through the crowd, till the glass doors of the cafeteria were left swinging with force once again.

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"Mr Belikov?" I asked the gorgeous teacher, somewhat tentative. "Uh… Mr Alto asked me to see you."

Stan had pissed me off earlier-and regretted it when I'd blatantly pointed out his lack of knowledge in class.

_I sighed, observing the way Stan's paunch moved around with him as he handed out test papers, critiquing students any way he could. I was sure I would get a low mark from him too. For some reason, he never liked me, while other teachers all thought I was a perfectly sweet and polite girl._

"_Miss Hathaway… I do believe you could do better than this. I expect more from you in the future. You cannot expect to be getting a pass in my class with work like this." Stan snarled, his mammoth frame towering over my desk._

_Yup. Sometimes like this-more accurately, everytime-I was certain that Stan saw me as an ignorant sloth that slacked and never bothered to take its work seriously._

"_May I ask a question, Mr Alto?" I asked, peering at my test paper with carefully disguised glee._

"_You just did, Rosemarie." I could practically hear the smugness emitting from him. Not for long, I told myself._

"_If I remember correctly, the term is supposed to be U.S.S.R and not R.S.S.R, am I right?"_

"_Yes… …isn't that what I marked?" Stan's tone grew uneasy and a bead of sweat escaped from his forehead._

_I smiled politely up at him, trying hard to restrain the laughter that was threatening to spill out of me. "I wrote U.S.S.R, Mr Alto. You crossed it out and replaced it with R.S.S.R. That's a little shameful for someone with Russian background, don't you think?"_

_The whole class erupted in laughter at my nonchalantly-asked rhetorical question. Failing to hide my giggles, I bit my lip and stared stubbornly at Mr Alto, whose eyes were bulging in unmasked annoyance. _

"_Leave this classroom and go see Mr Belikov now, Miss Hathaway."_

"_Jeez, Stanley… …" I muttered under my breath, hiding a grin as I stood up and moved out of the classroom to 'go see' the hot Russian. "Why get so riled up? I was merely pointing out a simple flaw in your work..."_

"_I heard that, Rosemarie!" Stan's voice screamed at my retreating back. "Have you ever learnt the concept of respect to your elders?"_

"_Whatever, Grandpa!" I meant that to be a quieter hiss, but instead, it escaped as a chortling laugh._

_Behind me, I vaguely heard the sound of a desk being kicked._

_._

_._

Right now, said gorgeous teacher was still marking his students' work, ignoring me. I huffed and drummed my fingers on his desk impatiently. "Hey. I'm. Right. Here!"

Dimitri looked up at me almost instantly, his eyes black pools of fire as his large hand covered mine, forcing my fingers to still. My breathing became laboured as he stood up, his huge frame towering over my small one. From our close proximity, I could make out the faint scent of a cologne.

The instant fluttering of butterflies in my stomach proved to me that I found it very, very attractive… …and familiar.

Where had I smelt that before?

"_Rose_."

"W-what?" I asked, startled, too busy puzzling over the mysterious cologne scent.

"What did you do to Mr Alto?"

My gaze drifted to the yummy teacher in front of me. Observing the way his luscious dark-brown hair fell onto his broad, muscular shoulders, I – _almost_ – sighed dreamily.

Instead, I covered up my lost, fawning damsel self by replying smartly, "Why is it any of your concern?"

"I'm the discipline master, Miss Hathaway. The newly appointed one." Dimitri, for some reason, sounded reluctant… and a little unsure.

I let those words sink in slowly, driving me to an equally slow death. Shit. I bit my lip nervously. Weren't discipline masters no-nonsense people? Why did my discipline master have to be so damn hot?

"Well, I do wonder what others would think of the discipline master threatening students…" Noting the obvious closeness of our bodies, my heartbeat quickened its pace as I inhaled the wonderful scent.

Shocked, I felt two long fingers lift my chin up. "In any case, I think this would be a strong indication of _why I don't care_."

Dimitri's warm brown-eyed gaze met mine as he brought my face closer to his. His other arm going round my waist tightly, his hair fell across us, casting a curtain of shadows.

I closed my eyes, right in time for my lips to meet his.

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**A/N: How long have I not updated? /:**

**I've just gone to a new school… and the schedule is . I'm so damn worn out… … /:**

**I know I should be gushing to you guys about how I'm so excited that Dimitri and Rose kissed, and blah blah blah, but I don't have the mental strength to do that anymore. So you're stuck with this depressing author's note. Sorry.**

**Review if you liked it, and if you didn't, just let me know anyway. Thanks.**

**(But perhaps if you review, I would be more encouraged to type despite my exhausted state. :D )**


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